Photographic frame rack



, July 16, 1946. WORTH PHOTOGRAPHIC FRAME RACK Filed July 24, 1944 2. Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. J05 6p]? W/orZ/z B Y A TTORNE Y July 16, 1946. J. woR'TH 2,42%,217

PHOTOGRAPHIC FRAME RACK Filed July 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 16, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 17 Claims.

This invention relates to photogra hic frame racks.

An object of this invention is to provide a frame rack of the character described which may be used both for photographic printing and developing-that is for carrying either negatives or positives, the construction being such that liquid such as developing fluid will not be permitted to accumulate when the racks are lifted out of the tank and to flow freely all around the prints thoroughly covering each.

A further object of thi invention is to provide a highly improved rack of the character described which can be cleaned and dried easily and which can be readily washed clean.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a rack of the character described comprising a frame and wires attached to the frame to form spaces for receiving photographic prints or negatives, said wires being constructed without welding or soldering in such manner that they will not accidentally loosen or move out of place, but which can nevertheles be easily replaced in case of breakage. The spaced wires are furthermore so constructed that they cannot move out of said position and remain rigidly in position.

Certain papers, such as printing paper placed in the rack, have a tendency to float to the surface of the liquid when the rack is placed in the tank. It is therefore yet another object of this invention to provide a rack of the character described having means to hold the papers or sheets down on the rack and to prevent them from floating upward.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rugged and durable rack of the character described which may be easily assembled, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which shall be easy to handle and manipulate, and yet practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consist in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of thi invention,

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of a rack embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the improved rack;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the side bars of the frame;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, H] designates a photographic frame rack embodying the invention. The same i preferably made all of metal. It comprises a pair of end members l l interconnected by a bottom substantially rectangular frame I2 and a top substantially rectangular frame l3 larger than the bottom frame. Each of the end members II is made of a single piece of bent or shaped round rod stock.

Each member H comprises a top curved portion l5 substantially semi-annular or semi-elliptical in shape. Extending from the ends of the curved portion l5 are downwardly and inwardly inclined portions It. From the lower end of the inclined portion [6 extends legs I7. Each leg 11 comprises a vertical portion l8 from which there extends an inwardly curved portion 19 terminating in an upwardly inclined portion 20.

It will be noted, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, that end members I l are disposed in planes somewhat inclined upwardly and outwardly.

The bottom frame 12 comprises a pair of parallel, similar, symmetrically disposed side rods 25 interconnected by end frame member 26. The side rods .25 are preferably of round rod stock. Each is formed at the ends thereof with a flat outer, vertical surface 21 curved at the end as at 28. On the inner side of each rod 25 .and ad-.

Liacent each end thereof is a part-cylindrical vertical notch 30 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Each rod is formed at each end with a pair of horizontal through rivet holes 3i and 3'2 at right angles to the flat surfaces 21 thereof.

The holes 3| extend to the bottom of recesses 30,-

whereas openings 32 are disposed between openings 3| and the ends of the flat surface 27. Each rod 25 is furthermore formed with a longitudinal milled groove 33 terminating short of the flat surfaces 21. The rod 25 is furthermore formed with equally spaced diametric through openings 34 communicating with .the bottom of groove 33. The openings 34 of rods 25 are inclined upwardly and inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Each end frame member 26 is also preferably formed of round rod stock. It comprises portion ill from the ends of which there extends at right angles thereto, short arm 38. Arms 38 have on the inner sides thereof, flat surfaces 39 contacting the flat surfaces 2?. Between portions 31 and arms 38 are curved corners contacting the curved surfaces 28 of rod 25. Member 26 is attached to members 25 by means of a pair of rivets 42 and 43 passing through the rivet Openings SZa and 43a in said arms and the rivet holes 3i and 32 registering therewith, respectively.

The leg portions 18 of end members i l are part- 1y received within the recesses 33! and said le portions are formed with through openings 416 registering with openings 3! to receive the rivets interconnected by end members 26a. The rods 25a are somewhat longer than the rods 25, and the end members 26a are somewhat longer than end members 25. They are constructed the same however, and integrated with the end frame members H in the same manner as frame i2 is integrated therewith. The rods 25a are also formed with a longitudinal groove 33 and through openings 3 the same as rod 25. However, the through openings 34 are inclined upwardly and inWarclly at an angle less than the angle of inclination of the openings 34 in the rod 25. The openings in the rods 2511 are in the respective planes of the openings in rods 25. Thus in each plane are a pair of openings 34 in the upper rods and a pair of openings 34 in the lower rods.

Attached to a pair of complementary openings in the rods 25a and 25 at each side of the frame is a shaped wire Each wire 50 comprises, a portion 5! passing through an opening 34 and a leg 52 bent at right angles thereto and disposed within groove 33. Extending from portion 5| of each wire 58 is a wire portion 52 extending at an angle to the wire portion 5!. Extending from wire portion 53 is a wire portion 54 inclined upwardly and inwardly substantially at the same angle as wire portion 5!. Extending from wire portion Ed is a curved back portion 55 from which there extends a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 55 substantially parallel to the openings 34 in the upper rods 25a. Extending from wire portions 56 are more steeply inclined portions 5'! extending to the openings 34 in the upper rods. Extending from said portions 5'! are wire portions 58 located within the openings 3 in the upper rods 25a. Extending from the wire portions 58 are arms extending at right angles thereto and disposed within the grooves 33 of said upper rods 25a.

Wires 59 have space between curved portion 55 to allow for finger room to facilitate loading and unloading.

It will be noted that there is a pair of wires 58 in each plane. The wires 59 do not contact one another since the curved portions 55 are spaced apart. The spaces between adjacent pairs of co-planar wires 5B are adapted to receive photographic prints or negatives 69 or other sheets. Thus prints or negatives E50 inserted into the rack rest on the lower frame 12 and will be prevented from moving sideways by the side members 250. of upper frame [3. The wires 56 will be prevented from becoming accidentally loosened by reason of the fact that the wire portions 53 and 51 are inclined to the portions 5! and 52 which are within the rods 25 and 25a respectively.

It will be noted that the rack may be easily The upper frame [3 comprises side rod a 4 cleaned since there is a space between the wires 56 on. opposite sides of the rack, for hand room to reach every portion of the wires to wipe with rag or the like cleaning implement. There is nothing in the rack which will carry up liquid or accumulate liquid in the rack as the same is lifted out of the tank. The curved portions l5 of the end frame members H serve as handles. The prints are spaced apart by the wires 5!].

Wires iii are so designed and proportioned as to offer maximum support with minimum contact of print or negative and yet offer enough support to prevent the prints from buckling when soaked in solution. Also by allowing side clearance for the prints it allows backward and forward motion of the prints while agitated to wash off any possible mark left by the wires.

Some types of printing papers float in the liquid. Means is therefore provided to prevent floating of such papers or sheets above wires 50 and thus buckle and contact each other, which will prevent their thorough soaking. To this end there is swiveled on each of the upper rods 25a a retainer member it. Each retainer member Ill may be made of a single piece of wire comprising end portions ll formed with loops or eyelets 12 surrounding the rod 25a. Extending at right angles to portions H are portions l3 disposed in the planes perpendicular to rods 25a. The portions 13 are interconnected by a portion 1d extending lengthwise of rods 25a. Portions H of members M are disposed between the end wires 58 and the ends of the upper frame I3. When members it are swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, portions 14 thereof will contact the upper edges of the prints or negatives 60 in the rack. When it is desired to remove the prints, members H1 are swung outwardly to the dotted position of Fig. 2 and will hang by gravity. Arms 73 are preferably longer than arms '1! so that portions it will be disposed beyond the side edges of the prints so as not to contact the same.

It will be noted that the spacing wires 51 are inclined upwardly and inwardly and that the curved portions 55 form narrowed upwardly extending tongues which facilitate insertion of prints or negatives into the rack as such prints, negatives or other sheets, are moved downwardly they would first engage the uppermost projecting portions of the spacing wires and such engagement is easier than would be an engagement with horizontal wires. Thus curved portions 55 are disposed above frame I3, thereby facilitating loading of prints, negatives or other sheets into the rack.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangular, the upper frame being wider than thelower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower framesrand pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides of the upper and lower frames forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives;

2. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangular, the upper frame being Wider than the lower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower frames, and pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides of the upper and lower frames forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives, said end members having handle portions extending above the upper frame.

3. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangular, the upper frame being wider than the lower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower frames, and pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides of the upper and lower frames forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives, said end members having handle portions extending above the upper frame, and said end members having leg portions extending below the lower frame.

4. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangu-' lar, the upper frame being wider than the lower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower frames, and pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides of the upper and lower frames forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives, and means on the upper frame to retain prints or negatives inserted in the rack frame from floating up when the rack is inserted into a tank of liquid.

5. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, means to connect the upper and lower frames to spaced portions of said end members, each of said frames having side bars formed with spaced through openings, the openings in the upper side bars being aligned with the openings in the lower side bars, and wires on each side of the rack, having portions passing through pairs of aligned openings in the side bars of the upper frame and lower frame on the same side of the rack, said wires having portions interconnecting the portions which pass through said openings and extending inwardly of the side bars.

6. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, means to connect the upper and lower frames to spaced portions of said end members, each of said frames having side bars formed with spaced through openings, the openings in the upper side bars being aligned with the openings in the lower side bars, and wires on each side of the rack, having portions passing through pairs of aligned openings in the side bars of the upper frame and lower frame on the same side of the rack, said wires having portions interconnecting the portions which pass through said openings and extending inwardly of the side bars, said side bars each being formed with a longitudinal groove communicating with said through openings, and said wires having offset end portions disposed at an angle to the portions of the wires which pass through said openings, and located within said groove.

members having handles at their upper ends, upper and lower frame members connecting upper and lower portions of said end members, spacer members attached to the upper and lower frames on each side of the rack and projecting inwardly toward each other, the spacing mem- :bers on one side of the rack being in the respective planes of the spacing members on the opposite side of the rack and terminating short of each other whereby a space is provided between the spacing members on one side of the rack and the spacing members on the opposite side of the rack, and means swiveled to the side portions of the upper frame adapted to contact the upper edges of sheets placed on the rack and between said spacers.

8. A rack of the character described having a pair of upper parallel side portions and a pair of lower parallel side portions, a plurality of spacers interconnecting one of the upper side portions with the lower side portion on the same side of the rack, and parallel spacers interconnecting the other upper portion with the other lower portion, the spacers on one side of the rack being in the respective planes of the spacers on the other side of the rack, said spacers being made of wire and being looped inwardly between said upper and lower portions.

9. A rack of the character described having a pair of upper parallel side portions and a pair of lower parallel side portions, a plurality of spacers interconnecting one of the upper side portions with the lower side portion on the same side of the rack, and parallel spacers interconone side of the rack terminating short of the '7. A photographic rack comprising end frame necting the other upper portion with the other lower portion, the spacers on one side of the rack being in the respective planes of the spacers on the other side of the rack, said spacers being made of wire and being looped inwardly between said upper and lower portions, the spacers on spacers on the other side of the rack.

10. A rack of the character described having a pair of upper parallel side portions and a pair of lower parallel side portions, a plurality of spacers interconnecting one of the upper side portions with the lower side portion on the same side of the rack, and parallel spacers interconnecting the other upper portion with the other lower portion, the spacers on one side of the rack being in the respective planes of the spacers on the other side of the rack, the spacers on one side of the rack terminating short of the spacers on the other side of the rack, each spacer comprising a single piece of wire, and the upper and lower frame portions being formed with through openings through which portions of each spacer passes.

11. In a photographic rack, a pair of upper and lower parallel rods on each side of the rack, each of said rods being formed with a plurality of equally spaced, parallel through openings, the through openings in one rod being in the respective planes of the through openings in the other rod, spacing wires interconnecting said upper and lower rods, each spacing wire having portions passing through co-planar openings in the upper and lower rods, and a portion interconnecting said first-mentioned portions and projecting inwardly of said rack.

12. In a photographic rack, a pair of upper and lower parallel rods at each side of the rack, each of said rods being formed with a plurality of equally spaced, parallel through openings, the through openings in one rod being in the respective planes of the through openings in the other rod, said rods each being formed with a longitudinal groove communicating, with the through openings in said rod, spacing wires interconnecting the upper and lower rods at each side of the rack, each spacing wire comprising portion passing through co-planar opening in the upper and lower rods, respectively, at one side of the rack, a portion interconnecting said firstmentioned portions and projecting inwardly from one side of said rack toward the opposite side of the rack, and portions extending from the firstmentioned portions, at right angles thereto, and received within the grooves in said upper and lower rods at said one side of said rack.

13. In a photographic rack, a pair of upper and lower parallel rods at each side of the rack, each of said rods being formed with a plurality of equally spaced, parallel through openings, the through openings in one rod being in the respective planes of the through openings in the other rod said rods each being formed with a longitudinal groove communicating with the through openings in said rod, spacing wires interconnect ing the upper and lower rods at each side of the rack, each spacing wire comprising portions passing through coplanar openings in the upper and lower rods, respectively, at one side of the rack, a portion interconnecting said first-mentioned portions and projecting inwardly from said one side of said rack toward the opposite side of said rack, portions extending from the outer ends of the first-mentioned portions, at right angles thereto, and received within said groove, and portions extending from said inner ends of the first-mentioned portions at an inclination thereto.

14. In a photographic rack, a pair of upper and lower parallel rods on each side of the rack, each of said rods being formed with a plurality of equally spaced, parallel through openings, the through openings in one rod being in the respective planes of the through openings in the other rod, spacing wires interconnecting said upper and lower rods, each spacing wire having portions passing through co-planar openings in the upper and lower rods, portions interconnecting said first-mentioned portions and projecting inwardly of said rack, said rods each being formed with a longitudinal groove, said spacers having portions extending from the outer ends of the firstmentioned portions at right angles thereto and received within said grooves, each spacer further including portions extending from the inner ends of the first-mentioned portions at an inclination thereto, and members swiveled to the upper rods, and including portions parallel to said upper rods and spaced therefrom.

15. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangular, the upper frame being wider than the lower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower frames, and pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides of the upper and lower frames forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives, said spacers comprising members projecting upwardly and inwardly from the opposite sides of said frames and terminating short of each other at points above the level of the upper frame.

16. A photographic rack comprising a pair of similar end members, an upper frame and a lower frame, said frames being substantially rectangular, the upper frame being wider than the lower frame, and said end members being attached to the ends of said upper and lower frames, and pairs of aligned spacers attached to the opposite sides respectively of the upper and lower frames, forming spaces therebetween to receive photographic prints or negatives, each spacer being connected to portions of the upper and lower frames on one side of the rack, said spacers comprising members projecting upwardly and inwardly from the opposite sides of said frames and terminating short of each other at points above the level of the upper frame, the inner ends of said spacers being narrower than their outer portions.

17. A photographic rack having side portions and end portions, said side portions including supports for the underside of sheets placed in the racks, and aligned pairs of spacers extending from the side portions, inwardly toward each other and terminating short of each other, said spacers being inclined upwardly and inwardly and the inner ends of said spacers being disposed above the side portions of said rack, and said spacers gradually becoming narrower from their outer ends toward their inner ends.

JOSEPH WORTH. 

